An All-Star Game For San Diego…And For Tony

It’s been 22 years, and counting, since the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was last played in San Diego (1992). When San Diego hosted its first All-Star Game, it had only been 14 years prior to that, in 1978.

It’s time Major League Baseball gave San Diego another shot.

Gaslamp Ball reported at FanFest in February that ownership had identified 2019 as their target for getting an All-Star Game in Petco Park. But not much has been said about that since. In fact, I didn’t even remember that they had mentioned that at FanFest until Rick of RJ’s Fro reminded me.

Yes, Ron Fowler and Mike Dee have mentioned that they were talking to the powers-that-be about this. But no news yet.

And, considering this team doesn’t look like it’s going to be playing in a World Series anytime soon, the next best thing is to host the All-Star Game.

1992 saw the most Padres players selected (5) for the National League team since 1985 (7), the year after the Padres played in the World Series. On top of that, two former Padres were starters (Sandy Alomar Jr and Roberto Alomar) and Joe Carter was named as a reserve for the American League team.

Of course, both of those games were played in Qualcomm Stadium, known as Jack Murphy Stadium in 1992 and San Diego Stadium in 1978. Petco Park has been denied the honor ever since it opened in 2004.

But why? Why has Major League Baseball skipped over arguably the perfect location for the Mid-Summer Classic for cities like Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Atlanta?

No one seems to know. Rumors of a deal made by John Moores to have the first World Baseball Classic finals at Petco Park have been floating around for years. The other major league owners’ hatred of Jeff Moorad is rumored to be another factor. Three ownership groups in the last five years certainly didn’t help, I’m sure.

I think it boils down to a combination of all of these. A “perfect storm” if you will.

Last Tuesday, at the beginning of the All-Star Game in Minneapolis, Padres fan and CBS White House correspondent Major Garrett voiced his opinion on Twitter.

So, join us, won’t you? Now that Facebook supports hashtags, finally joining Twitter, Instagram, and Google+, tag up any and all of your posts and pictures with #ASGSD2019 and/or #19ASG. Even ones that have absolutely nothing to do with the Padres or even baseball.

Let’s let the powers that be in Major League Baseball know that we want this. We need this. We deserve this.

Most importantly, Tony deserves this.

I write something for Padres Public just about every week and usually on Wednesday morning. Since you’re likely already following me on Twitter, tell your friends, family, and well-wishers to follow me.

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